Sign the Petition to

National Institute of Health,

Regarding the research using cats in their eye movement and hearing studies. We are appalled that the USDA would find absolutely nothing wrong with what is happening at this univeristy.

According to reports by Dr. Lawrence Hansen, professor in the departments of neurosciences and pathology at the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine in La Jolla, Calif. These tests are not only unnecessary, there are alternative methods, that do Not use cats, available and already being done in many universities. In his words: "funding the UW-Madison's violent and unnecessary experiments on cats means $3 million less is being spent on research that can actually improve human health and well-being."

Dr. Lawrence states: "For years, the U.S. National Institutes of Health has funded, and UW-Madison has approved, an incredibly cruel sound localization experiment on cats based on the explanation that cutting into the brains of dozens of cats, drilling holes in their skulls, placing wire coils in their eyes, deafening them and starving them into compliance would help the experimenters, in their own words, "keep up a productive publication record that ensures our constant funding." "The faculty members made virtually no claims that these inhumane studies would help treat humans, and that is further evidenced by this work not being cited in studies on human hearing."

I invite you to watch the following video, see for yourself the cruelty that is being unnecessarily inflicted on these animals. And we ask you to please stop funding this institution to continue their useless experiments on these animals that have absolutely no valid use whatsoever. Fund them, Only if they are willing to change to using alternative methods. And eliminate the use of these animals.

How this will help

We have reached 40,000 signatures.... due to the latest update in regards to USDA and federal inspections please take the following actions.......

1)Please take a moment to call the Dr. James F. Battey Jr. at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and politely ask that his agency immediately stop funding this cruel experiment on cats at UW. You can reach Dr. Battey's office at 301-402-0900.

-----------------------------------------------------The cats in UW's labs are suffering miserably, and they don't have time for more evasions and excuses—now exposed as deceptive spin. Please urge the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents to put an immediate halt to these cruel experiments.

Letter: I was dismayed to learn that the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) is still tormenting cats in cruel and useless "sound localization" experiments. Cats used in these experiments have steel coils implanted in their eyes, holes drilled into their skulls, and electrodes implanted in their brains. Sometimes, they even have their ears cut off or are intentionally deafened by having a toxic chemical applied to their inner ear. They are then deprived of food for several days in order to coerce them to look in the direction of sounds during experimental sessions in which their heads are immobilized by a bolt screwed to their skulls.

Nearly every cat who has been subjected to this experiment has suffered from chronic bacterial infections as a result of the traumatic head and eye wounds inflicted on them. Because experimenters chronically starve these cats for days at a time, their immune systems are weakened. A former UW veterinarian who worked in this laboratory has stated that this makes their infections even more severe and even more difficult for the cats to stave off.

Internal UW documents and photographs obtained by PETA show that one cat subjected to this experiment, an orange tabby cat named Double Trouble, woke up while experimenters were cutting into her head. Like other cats used in these experiments, Double Trouble developed debilitating infections and became lethargic and depressed. She started to twitch and suffered paralysis in half her face. After UW faculty deemed the experiment a failure, Double Trouble was killed and decapitated so that her brain could be examined.

The experiment with Double Trouble has never been published, and similar studies on other cats are rarely cited and have never been identified as contributing to advancements in improving human hearing. Yet these cruel and sloppy experiments persist at UW. As someone who has authority over the activities of all UW campuses and an obligation to ensure that only worthwhile and ethical research projects are pursued, you are in a position to end this cruel project. I urge you to intervene and stop these experiments immediately.